Circus Night 2017!

Circus Night at Villa di Maria has been a favorite event for many years for children, parents, and staff, and luckily, this year was no different! Magically, despite record-breaking rainfall leading up to the event (and immediately following the event), we were graced with one sunny, warm day to have our Chipotle, and eat it too! Below, a plethora of pictures and the low-down on our very popular Annual Circus Night at Villa di Maria.The days leading up to Circus Night were full of trepidation, as flood waters kept rising around the St. Louis area, shutting down roads and completely flooding areas near the Meramec River, including the original site chosen for Villa di Maria's off-campus location. Thanks to the quick-thinking VdM staff, the last minute location change turned out to be perfect (and dry)!The evening started with free standing stations for children to try as they arrived, including hula hoops, plate spinning, juggling, tightrope walking, bean bag toss, and ball toss games.There was also a temporary tattoo booth that parent volunteers helped run smoothly. Thank you, parents!There were also a few new additions this year, including a photo booth, where children could dress up and use props to take funny photos:The ball toss, a leftover from last year's event, sadly did not make it through the night, as it kept blowing over, then finally succumbed to the stomping feet and giggles of the masses.But perhaps the biggest hit of the night? The Upper Elementary's fortune-telling booth, which they worked very hard on leading up to the event. They managed to raise a good amount of money for their upcoming Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) trip.The fortunes were clever, and the children particularly enjoyed the process of the palm reading combined with the dramatics by the Upper Elementary children. What a fantastic idea!The small circus tents were a hit with all ages, and ended up rolling down a few hills as the night wore on!Face painting and balloon animals are always a big hit with the youngest children:Parent volunteers made the dinner portion of Circus Night a huge success, and it ran even more seamlessly than last year, with shorter lines for food and a reduction in food waste. Fantastic job and shout outs to everyone who helped with the planning, transportation, and execution of the delicious dinner from Chipotle!The final portion of the evening included a fantastic show by Everyday Circus, an offshoot of Circus Harmony. The three performers juggled, did a contortion act, performed acrobatics and chair balancing, hula-hooped a ridiculous number of hoops at once, and made the crowds laugh, cheer, and bite their fingernails with worry!Thank you, Villa di Maria, for putting on another fun night, and thank you, Jay, for taking many of these beautiful photos for our special night!